Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Daily Astorian: Former Port Leader Gearin Pleas To Felony

For Details Click On Link Below

http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=58447&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398

The Daily "A" Opinion: Gearin Action Costly To Taxpayers

21 comments:

g said...

sad.

that's about all i got to say about that.

Anonymous said...

Criminal.

Shame on you (you know who you are).

Bravo to Cassandra Profita.

The second article lays out the whole ugly mess, petty corruption and all.

One of those commissioners is still on the Port Board and other listed players continue to rake in profits from their "special relationships."

Patrick McGee said...

It's a good thing in that Gearin's prosecution, The Port's admittance of guilt and paying of fines gets this particular negative aspect of Port history out of the way for a brighter look forward.

Dan Hess and Larry Pfund?

Hess is gone and Pfund, like, now is it, Jeffrey S. Hazen(Heard there was a directive around the halls of County he is to be addressed as such from now on) lives by "Tribal Ethic", loyalty to the victors, always.

Anonymous said...

Remember when Peter Gerin was herolded as the savior of the Port because of his private sector experience? The Daily A even liked him (although from Profits' castigating articles, one would think otherwise - unless one knows Steve Forrester). Peter actually did improve the Port's financial position using private sector practices for awhile. In the end, though, the Port is a government and must act like one. People who want government to work like a private business should take a lesson from this example. And, readjust their thinking.

g said...

unfortunately, the "negative aspect" is far from over in the eyes of 3 commissioners running for office and a local paper who likes nothing more than to demonize peter.

far from over my friend.

i did find the oregonian reporting to offer a COMPLETELY different perspective. not to mention the degree of professional journalism.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/export_chief_pleads_guilty_in.html

Patrick McGee said...

I still firmly believe "The Port" needs to submit itself to a State of Oregon Performance and Finanacial Audit to simply clear the table of all questions that still linger so that it can move forward with a clean slate and vision.

Anonymous said...

And subject "G" to total exposure?

Notice that he does not take any respopnsibility for selling his buddy down the river...

g said...

i welcome any exposure. infact, someone should take the intitiative to get copies of the executive sessions which are all taped and to my knowledge, public information.

these tapes reveal pretty much everything. it reveals all of us (larry the easily tricked included) thinking this whole deq/epa thing is a bunch of bs.

anon#3: lol. did you type that all by yourself or was it your 5 year old?

Patrick McGee said...

Funny, how I always expected a "Whistle Blower" at "Port" to spill it all and I know a couple that for sure gave it serious thought and almost did but, never happened.

I believe we would all be much better off if they had, you especially Glenn.

Anonymous said...

lets see, AGBAG - Western Oregon Waste, Pier 2 Building, Environmental Crimes, Largest Single loan in Port of Astoria's Debt - Bornsteins, Why throw Rocks when you live in a glass house Mr. "G"? You talk a good line, but you and Bush friends failed. Your "friend" Peter and Dandy Don took it on the Chin for you, I'm told.

g said...

you shouldn't believe everything you're told.

we always have jeb bush for 2012.

yes we can.

Patrick McGee said...

I can't wait to see who the GOP will trot out to race for 2012.

That ought to be really interesting.

I think "Principled Conservatism" has seen its day, at least for me anyway.

I think there is going to be a local war to take the party right straight to the middle between now and then as well.

g said...

depends how hard up we are for oil then.

Anonymous said...

Patrick,
I don't understand what the Port did that would caure an employee to blow the whistle, from a business point of view. Dumping stuff in the River? How did all the stuff that has been and is currently floating down the River get there? From businesses dumping there waste, of couse, which continues today with no internal whistle blowing. Not obeying the law? Most businesses don't obey the law it is negatively impacts their finances. Just look at the current financial fix the country is in. Or, how many businesses in Astoria have not paid their occupation tax. While its easy to blame it all on the government, business should accept the blame - all the blame (unless, of course, people who run businesses should be looked at only as morons who simply look at the financial bottom like without thought to the impacts of their work). Now, if the Port was operated like a government, then, certainly, the bottom line is not the issue, service is the issue. Under those conditions an employee might have complained. But, then, at the time our local politics would never have allowed a government person to be appointed DEO of the Port. So, please explain, who should have blown the whistle?

Patrick McGee said...

Explain?

Who should have blown the whistle?

The one/one's with the knowledge of where all the dead bodies are buried is/are the likely candidates would be my guess.

There are two people out there, to my knowledge, who almost did and they certainly had their reasons to want to do so.

Anonymous said...

Under your scenario, the two people who knew "where all the dead bodies are buried", and whom you said are Port employees, should have blown the whistle. They may have almost done it, but almost is the same as doing nothing. Since you believe the right thing to do was for an employee to report the problems, and the employees you mentioned did not report them, are those public employees not acting unethically and perhaps illegally? Since you knew that two public employees knew of the problems, at least one of which appears to be a criminal act, and they did nothing, you have an ethical obligation, and if questioned by law enforcement, a legal obligation to report those public employees. So, who are they?

Patrick McGee said...

Simple fact of the matter is nobody did and I have no obligation to report anything as there is nothing of fact to report and that is where this will stop.

Anonymous said...

OK, so the Port employees you know, who knew about the illegal situation within their organization and did not report it, either do not exist or did not actually know anything was wrong. I can understand the attitude that its your website, your rules. However, you might want to be careful in the future not to provide information as fact when it is not fact. This goes to your credibility as a webmaster and a citizen.

Patrick McGee said...

Those are your own assumptions "Anonym" and you want to give advice give it to somebody else.

Anonymous said...

So, then, this is the Lars Larson of websites. Too bad. Goodby

Patrick McGee said...

Anonymous said...
So, then, this is the Lars Larson of websites. Too bad. Goodby


No, this is "Grass Roots People" and goodbye to you "Anonym"